Changes made to Review for Fist Of Legend: Ultimate Edition

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Created on Thursday, 18th March 2010, 14:51
Change Submitted by Jitendar Canth

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• Change #1 - ge1] [heading]Introduction[/heading] <newline>Hot on the heels of Kill Zone, the second collaborative release between CineAsia and Dragon Dynasty comes to the UK, and this title has been a long time incoming. We now get Fist of Legend: The Ultimate Edition. I’m usually wary aboutadding the Ultimate Edition suffix to Cine Asia titles, as often they are theonly editions released in the UK, which makes it all a pointless hyperbole. Butthere has been a Fist of Legend release in the UK, courtesy of Buena Vista severalyears ago, an unpleasant non-anamorphic, dub only version of the film that ishardly the sort of thing to appeal to collectors of kung fu cinema. It’s thesame version that has been shown on TV broadcasts several times over the pastfew years, the same version that I have started to watch, and then had toswitch off because the dub was so excruciating. It’s a crying shame, as Fist ofLegend is reputed to be one of Jet Li’s finest action films, made at the heightof his powers back in 1994. This modern remake of the classic Fist of Furyfinally gets the release it deserves, anamorphic with original language audiocourtesy of Cine Asia, a two-disc release with the Bey Logan commentary. It’salso released on Blu-ray on the same day. It’s 1937 and tensions are high across South East Asia,especially with Japan beginning to dream imperialist dreams, and throw itsweight around its territories and beyond. But it is the economic superpower inthe region, which is why Chen Zhen is at a prestigious Tokyo university,learning about the modern world, and putting up with jingoistic students whowish to promote their vision of racial purity. It isn’t the growing hatred thatmakes him go home to Shanghai though, it’s the news that his kung fu master HuoYuan Jia has been killed in a match with the head of a rival Japanese dojo. Hisdesire is simple, to return home, pay respects to his master, then show theJapanese that the Chinese will no longer tolerate their arrogance by givingthem a good kicking. It’s never that simple though. It becomes all too clearthat the man reputed to have bested Huo Yuan Jia is wholly incapable of such anact, and there’s something far more sinister going on. Worse, Chen Zhen’sreturn throws the Jing Wu Men School into turmoil, especially as he brings amodern approach to kung fu that doesn’t sit well with the new master, Ting-an,son of Huo Yuan Jia. It becomes even more complicated when Chen Zhen’s Japanesegirlfriend Mitsuko follows him to Shanghai, and they become victims ofprejudice from both sides. <newline> <newline>[heading]Picture[/heading] <newline>Fist of Legend gets a 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer, and a pleasant film to PALtransfer at that. The image is clear and sharp throughout, with good colourbalance showing the excellent production design to good effect. You can’t getaway from the fact that it’s a 15 year old film, so there is some grainprevalent, and a smidge of print damage and age, but certainly not immediatelynoticeable. It does contrast with the opening credits, which appear to havebeen created especially for this release by Dragon Dynasty, and they are awhole lot cleaner, sharper, and CGI. Of course the whole point of this film isthe kung fu, and the action sequences are stunning, choreographed by Yuen WooPing (who else), and brilliantly shot. They are also much more grounded for afilm of this period, and wirework is thankfully kept to a minimum. <newline> <newline>[heading]Sound[/heading] <newline>You have a choice between DD 5.1 English, and DD 2.0 Cantonese and Mandarin,with optional English subtitles. Watch the Cantonese version, as it bestportrays the central story arc of the confrontation between the Chinese andJapanese, simply because the characters speak the language appropriate to theirnationality, Cantonese and Japanese. The Mandarin track has all the charactersspeaking Mandarin, and the same can be said of the English track. The Englishdub wasn’t quite as excruciating as I remember, and I get the feeling thatDragon Dynasty created this dub specifically for this release, replacing theoriginal English dub with something more palatable. Certainly, the music hasbeen re-scored by Stephen Edwards to take advantage of the 5.1 soundstage, andis markedly different from the original score. Bey Logan notes in thecommentary that we should have the choice of both scores for the English dub,but in the UK we only get the re-scored audio. It’s also worth noting that theEnglish dub makes the ending of the film different from the original languageversions. [/page1][page2] <newline> <newline>[heading]Extras[/heading] <newline>Both discs get animated menus, but the only extra on disc one is the Bey Loganaudio commentary. Of course if the film wasn’t enough to convince you to buythe disc, this commentary certainly is, jam packed as always with pertinentinformation about the film and the Hong Kong film industry, delivered in anentertaining way, with clarity and erudition.  Disc 2 is devoted to extras of course, and the mostsubstantial of which is the Interview Gallery. The Man Behind the Legend lasts 36 minutes, and is adetailed, English language interview with the film’s director, Gordon Chan,although it is subtitled if you require. In it he talks about how to remake aclassic, and takes us through the process of bringing Fist of Legend to thescreen. There are some choice anecdotes as well. Brothers in Arms is a 23-minute interview with Chin Siu-Ho,who played Ting-an in the film. He talks about his career and the film. The Way of the Warrior lasts 30 minutes and offers aninsight into the career of Kurata Yasuaki, who here also talks about making thefilm, and bringing the action movie ethos back to Japan.  You can see more of this in The School Of Hard Knocks, 27minutes in Kurata’s Action School, where the film stars of tomorrow aretrained. Finally in this section, A Look At Fist Of Legend offers theinsight of director Brett Ratner, and critic Elvis Mitchell, who offer theirtakes on the Jet Li movie. There are 5 deleted scenes on this disc, running to 5minutes in total, presented in Mandarin, and subtitled in English and I guessJapanese. The infamous opium scene is here as well. Finally there are two trailers in a Trailer Gallery, theoriginal and the Dragon Dynasty one. <newline> <newline>[heading]Conclusion[/heading] <newline>I’ve never seen Fist of Fury; in fact for all the Hong Kong movies that I haveseen, the only Bruce Lee film I ever saw was Enter the Dragon, and I have toadmit that I didn’t much care for it. It was an early case of the actual filmnot living up to the hyperbole and legend that had at that time deified BruceLee. So I can’t exactly compare Fist of Legend and tell you if it is worse orbetter, if it is a respectful homage or shameless retelling. I can tell youthis though, I watched Fist of Legend and had an absolute blast, it’s one ofthe best kung fu actioners I have seen in a long time, relentless and brutal inits action scenes, inventive and eye-catching in its choreography, yet backedup with an engrossing story, and sensitive performances. If there were aquintessential kung fu movie, the one film that you could use as a gateway drugto a new and unexplored genre, then this would be it.  At first glance the story seems typical kung fu, with themaster of a kung fu school slain by a brutal and unscrupulous rival, and thestar student having to exact a just and righteous vengeance upon him. Add tothat period setting, and the convenient villainy of Japanese overseers well ontheir way to imperialist expansionism, and you could have a kung fu movie thatfollows the template of so many others that have come before and since. Themost recent such film I saw was Ip Man, which saw Bruce Lee’s own masterstanding up to those dreaded Japanese devils, and beating them at their owngame with honour and justice at heart. But Fist of Legend muddies the waterswhen it becomes clear that Chen Zhen’s master didn’t die in honourable combat,but was instead murdered. It makes things even more ambiguous, when it turnsout that not all the Japanese are devils, Chen Zhen’s girlfriend is Japanese,and he has a respectful relationship with her uncle, the martial artistFunakoshi. By the same token, not all of the Chinese are saints, there’s betrayalafoot in the Jing Wu Men school, the school’s students aren’t altogethertolerant of the new ways of fighting that Chen Zhen has learned in Japan, andtheir disdain for Mitsuko lies rooted in a bigotry that permeates all sides ofShanghai’s society.  The film also backs this up with some sensitive performancesfrom all involved, and there are layers and depths to the characters here thatyour usual kung fu movie simply wouldn’t even consider. This is evidently thefilm that put Jet Li into the global stratosphere, and the way that thecharacter navigates a path between two antagonistic worlds is brilliantlyportrayed. But there is strong support, especially from Chin Siu-Ho as Ting-an,who is initially pleased to see his friend’s return, but who gradually becomesmore and more unsettled as it becomes clear that he may lose grip of the schoolthat he inherited, trying to uphold the old ways when Chen Zhen’s modernapproach to martial arts seems to work better. I also love Kurata Yasuaki asFunakoshi, something of a Yoda-esque figure in Chen Zhen’s life, similarlytrying to stay aloof of the antagonism between the two cultures, but having todeal with it nonetheless.  Of course the big draw of this film is the action. Yuen WooPing choreographs the fight sequences, and in an era where action was becomingmore balletic, enhanced with wire-fu, and increasingly stylised, Fist of Legendkeeps it significantly more grounded, literally so, with few wires in evidence,and punches and kicks not only connecting, but doing damage as well. Apparentlythere is plenty of homage to Fist of Fury, but this is pure Jet Li action, he’scertainly not aping any other actor’s style here. If you come to this film forthe fight sequences, you will be more than satisfied by the time the movieends, and the astounding thing is that they managed to keep all the story,character development, and nuance, and have the film jam packed with fights aswell. Fist of Legend is a must-own movie, regardless of what you may thinkabout kung fu flicks. It’s one of those rare movies that transcend its genre.  <newline> <newline>[heading]Introduction[/heading] <newline>Hot on the heels of Kill Zone, the second collaborative release between Cine Asia and Dragon Dynasty comes to the UK, and this title has been a long time in coming. We now get Fist of Legend: The Ultimate Edition. I[apost]m usually wary about adding the Ultimate Edition suffix to Cine Asia titles, as often they are the only editions released in the UK, which makes it all a pointless hyperbole. But there has been a Fist of Legend release in the UK, courtesy of Buena Vista several years ago, an unpleasant non-anamorphic, dub only version of the film that is hardly the sort of thing to appeal to collectors of kung fu cinema. It[apost]s the same version that has been shown on TV broadcasts several times over the past few years, the same version that I have started to watch, and then had to switch off because the dub was so excruciating. It[apost]s a crying shame, as Fist of Legend is reputed to be one of Jet Li[apost]s finest action films, made at the height of his powers back in 1994. This modern remake of the classic Fist of Fury finally gets the release it deserves, anamorphic with original language audio courtesy of Cine Asia, a two-disc release with the Bey Logan commentary. It[apost]s also released on Blu-ray on the same day. <newline> <newline>[url="http://www.myreviewer.com/default.asp?a=0000127146"][imgmc=0000220047.jpg][/url] <newline>It[apost]s 1937 and tensions are high across South East Asia, especially with Japan beginning to dream imperialist dreams, and throw its weight around its territories and beyond. But it is the economic superpower in the region, which is why Chen Zhen is at a prestigious Tokyo university, learning about the modern world, and putting up with jingoistic students who wish to promote their vision of racial purity. It isn[apost]t the growing hatred that makes him go home to Shanghai though, it[apost]s the news that his kung fu master Huo Yuan Jia has been killed in a match with the head of a rival Japanese dojo. His desire is simple, to return home, pay respects to his master, then show the Japanese that the Chinese will no longer tolerate their arrogance by giving them a good kicking. It[apost]s never that simple though. It becomes all too clear that the man reputed to have bested Huo Yuan Jia is wholly incapable of such an act, and there[apost]s something far more sinister going on. Worse, Chen Zhen[apost]s return throws the Jing Wu Men School into turmoil, especially as he brings a modern approach to kung fu that doesn[apost]t sit well with the new master, Ting-an, son of Huo Yuan Jia. It becomes even more complicated when Chen Zhen[apost]s Japanese girlfriend Mitsuko follows him to Shanghai, and they become victims of prejudice from both sides. <newline> <newline>[url="http://www.myreviewer.com/default.asp?a=0000127145"][imgmc=0000220046.jpg][/url] <newline>[heading]Picture[/heading] <newline>Fist of Legend gets a 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer, and a pleasant film to PAL transfer at that. The image is clear and sharp throughout, with good colour balance showing the excellent production design to good effect. You can[apost]t get away from the fact that it[apost]s a 15 year old film, so there is some grain prevalent, and a smidge of print damage and age, but certainly not immediately noticeable. It does contrast with the opening credits, which appear to have been created especially for this release by Dragon Dynasty, and they are a whole lot cleaner, sharper, and CGI. Of course the whole point of this film is the kung fu, and the action sequences are stunning, choreographed by Yuen Woo Ping (who else), and brilliantly shot. They are also much more grounded for a film of this period, and wirework is thankfully kept to a minimum. <newline> <newline>[url="http://www.myreviewer.com/default.asp?a=0000127149"][imgmc=0000220050.jpg][/url] <newline>[heading]Sound[/heading] <newline>You have a choice between DD 5.1 English, and DD 2.0 Cantonese and Mandarin, with optional English subtitles. Watch the Cantonese version, as it best portrays the central story arc of the confrontation between the Chinese and Japanese, simply because the characters speak the language appropriate to their nationality, Cantonese and Japanese. The Mandarin track has all the characters speaking Mandarin, and the same can be said of the English track. The English dub wasn[apost]t quite as excruciating as I remember, and I get the feeling that Dragon Dynasty created this dub specifically for this release, replacing the original English dub with something more palatable. Certainly, the music has been re-scored by Stephen Edwards to take advantage of the 5.1 soundstage, and is markedly different from the original score. Bey Logan notes in the commentary that we should have the choice of both scores for the English dub, but in the UK we only get the re-scored audio. It[apost]s also worth noting that the English dub makes the ending of the film different from the original language versions. <newline> <newline>[/page1] <newline>[page2] <newline> <newline>[heading]Extras[/heading] <newline>Both discs get animated menus, but the only extra on disc one is the Bey Logan audio commentary. Of course if the film wasn[apost]t enough to convince you to buy the disc, this commentary certainly is, jam packed as always with pertinent information about the film and the Hong Kong film industry, delivered in an entertaining way, with clarity and erudition. <newline> <newline>Disc 2 is devoted to extras of course, and the most substantial of which is the Interview Gallery. <newline> <newline>The Man Behind the Legend lasts 36 minutes, and is a detailed, English language interview with the film[apost]s director, Gordon Chan, although it is subtitled if you require. In it he talks about how to remake a classic, and takes us through the process of bringing Fist of Legend to the screen. There are some choice anecdotes as well. <newline> <newline>Brothers in Arms is a 23-minute interview with Chin Siu-Ho, who played Ting-an in the film. He talks about his career and the film. <newline> <newline>[url="http://www.myreviewer.com/default.asp?a=0000127150"][imgmc=0000220051.jpg][/url] <newline>The Way of the Warrior lasts 30 minutes and offers an insight into the career of Kurata Yasuaki, who here also talks about making the film, and bringing the action movie ethos back to Japan. <newline> <newline>You can see more of this in The School Of Hard Knocks, 27 minutes in Kurata[apost]s Action School, where the film stars of tomorrow are trained. <newline> <newline>Finally in this section, A Look At Fist Of Legend offers the insight of director Brett Ratner, and critic Elvis Mitchell, who offer their takes on the Jet Li movie. <newline> <newline>There are 5 deleted scenes on this disc, running to 5 minutes in total, presented in Mandarin, and subtitled in English and I guess Japanese. The infamous opium scene is here as well. <newline> <newline>Finally there are two trailers in a Trailer Gallery, the original and the Dragon Dynasty one. <newline> <newline>[url="http://www.myreviewer.com/default.asp?a=0000127157"][imgmc=0000220058.jpg][/url] <newline>[heading]Conclusion[/heading] <newline>I[apost]ve never seen Fist of Fury; in fact for all the Hong Kong movies that I have seen, the only Bruce Lee film I ever saw was Enter the Dragon, and I have to admit that I didn[apost]t much care for it. It was an early case of the actual film not living up to the hyperbole and legend that had at that time deified Bruce Lee. So I can[apost]t exactly compare Fist of Legend and tell you if it is worse or better, if it is a respectful homage or shameless retelling. I can tell you this though, I watched Fist of Legend and had an absolute blast, it[apost]s one of the best kung fu actioners I have seen in a long time, relentless and brutal in its action scenes, inventive and eye-catching in its choreography, yet backed up with an engrossing story, and sensitive performances. If there were a quintessential kung fu movie, the one film that you could use as a gateway drug to a new and unexplored genre, then this would be it. <newline> <newline>[url="http://www.myreviewer.com/default.asp?a=0000127166"][imgmc=0000220067.jpg][/url] <newline>At first glance the story seems typical kung fu, with the master of a kung fu school slain by a brutal and unscrupulous rival, and the star student having to exact a just and righteous vengeance upon him. Add to that period setting, and the convenient villainy of Japanese overseers well on their way to imperialist expansionism, and you could have a kung fu movie that follows the template of so many others that have come before and since. The most recent such film I saw was Ip Man, which saw Bruce Lee[apost]s own master standing up to those dreaded Japanese devils, and beating them at their own game with honour and justice at heart. But Fist of Legend muddies the waters when it becomes clear that Chen Zhen[apost]s master didn[apost]t die in honourable combat, but was instead murdered. It makes things even more ambiguous, when it turns out that not all the Japanese are devils, Chen Zhen[apost]s girlfriend is Japanese, and he has a respectful relationship with her uncle, the martial artist Funakoshi. By the same token, not all of the Chinese are saints, there[apost]s betrayal afoot in the Jing Wu Men school, the school[apost]s students aren[apost]t altogether tolerant of the new ways of fighting that Chen Zhen has learned in Japan, and their disdain for Mitsuko lies rooted in a bigotry that permeates all sides of Shanghai[apost]s society. <newline> <newline>[url="http://www.myreviewer.com/default.asp?a=0000127165"][imgmc=0000220066.jpg][/url] <newline>The film also backs this up with some sensitive performances from all involved, and there are layers and depths to the characters here that your usual kung fu movie simply wouldn[apost]t even consider. This is evidently the film that put Jet Li into the global stratosphere, and the way that the character navigates a path between two antagonistic worlds is brilliantly portrayed. But there is strong support, especially from Chin Siu-Ho as Ting-an, who is initially pleased to see his friend[apost]s return, but who gradually becomes more and more unsettled as it becomes clear that he may lose grip of the school that he inherited, trying to uphold the old ways when Chen Zhen[apost]s modern approach to martial arts seems to work better. I also love Kurata Yasuaki as Funakoshi, something of a Yoda-esque figure in Chen Zhen[apost]s life, similarly trying to stay aloof of the antagonism between the two cultures, but having to deal with it nonetheless. <newline> <newline>[url="http://www.myreviewer.com/default.asp?a=0000127161"][imgmc=0000220062.jpg][/url] <newline>Of course the big draw of this film is the action. Yuen Woo Ping choreographs the fight sequences, and in an era where action was becoming more balletic, enhanced with wire-fu, and increasingly stylised, Fist of Legend keeps it significantly more grounded, literally so, with few wires in evidence, and punches and kicks not only connecting, but doing damage as well. Apparently there is plenty of homage to Fist of Fury, but this is pure Jet Li action, he[apost]s certainly not aping any other actor[apost]s style here. If you come to this film for the fight sequences, you will be more than satisfied by the time the movie ends, and the astounding thing is that they managed to keep all the story, character development, and nuance, and have the film jam packed with fights as well. Fist of Legend is a must-own movie, regardless of what you may think about kung fu flicks. It[apost]s one of those rare movies that transcend its genre. <newline> <newline>[/pa

Initial Version

Created on Thursday, 18th March 2010, 14:45
First Submitted by Jitendar Canth